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Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

npr.org

111–120 of 171 posts

Re: Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

#111
post #2

In WW2 thousands of troops could die in a single day and we wouldn't know their names until months or years later. Today a single troop dies and it is the first story on the national news. Millions of civilians also died, just the amount of soldier deaths would be the equivalent of 2-3 September 11s (worldwide) every day for a period of 6 years. So we say "war" but modern conflicts are absolutely nothing compared to…

> modern conflicts are absolutely nothing compared to what has happened historically. ‎> vs. the send entire generations off to die methods of old. Feel free to click and zoom yourself through the generational pile of almost a quarter million dead Russians below, armchair general. https://200.zona.media/

Mocking him while linking to a BBC propaganda piece is funny.

Re: Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

#112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Under Obama's deal with them, Iran was quite content to not have nukes. Had the deal not been torn up, they'd likely never acquire nuclear capability in our lifetimes. Trump's unprovoked attacks on them were not only extremely costly due to the Strait of Hormuz closing, but it underscored why Iran absolutely needs nukes to protect themselves. It's virtually guaranteed they'll attain nuclear weapons inside the next de…

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You are the one in this thread who comes off as gullible. You seem to have bought the post-facto and baldly pretextual narrative that the war both had the objective of delivering Iran of nuclear capability and is achieving that objective.

Re: Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

#113

The question should be "why is it so hard for the US not to start wars". America didn't have to do this. And now they cry that nobody is helping them.

Who is crying about that? You just mean the administration? If so, then sure. But Americans at large aren't under any illusions about whether anyone would or should be helping with this.

Re: Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

#114
post #11

First the meaning of "war" needs to be defined. FWIW, in the US, only Congress can declare war. IIRC, that really has not happened since Korea. Also since WW2, none of these countries posed a real danger to the US Public, plus people in the US are not invested. Compare what the public in the US had to do in WW2 compared to these "wars". If the life style of the Average US person is affected like in WW2, then you can…

This "definition of war" reasoning is circular. It's not that these are not wars because Congress didn't declare them, it's that they are wars that are being waged illegally, at odds with the Constitution.

Re: Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

#115

To "win" a war you must have specific and measurable goals. If your politicians start a war but cannot articulate such goals, you're going to lose. They'll assure you they will win, but they've already lost. They are bad at their jobs, why did you hire these morons?

Has anyone does analysis on Home vs Away wars ? Russia is in a Home war. Similarly US is in Away war. Also being a land power vs sea power. US is a sea power vs Iran being a land power.

Re: Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

#116
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Russia's goals have far evolved over the course of the war, and started out comically ridiculous, prompting a great many people to ask questions about the information "bubble" around Putin. Over the past year, I believe most people would agree Russia has lost a LOT of ground when it comes to their war aims, even if not that much territory. 2014: seize Crimea (success, although it no longer serves any purpose) and Sev…

When did Russia ever state they would accomplish all this in 3 days?

‘Russia’ is not a human subject and can say nothing, and this is obvious, so the question is framed with propagandistic intent.

The judgment was the basis of the invasion. Lukashenko and state TV did however say it; more interestingly the Biden administration - which had access to internal discussion and wrongly credited the cognition and rationality of Russian bureaucrats - also/ affirmed it.

In fact victory was assumed to have happened instantly: the famous widely mocked hundreds of miles of stalled trucks in the opening week contained //no military equipment//: it was all police equipment for managing recalcitrants in Kiev. Why? Because the war was ‘always already’ won; it was just a question of taking possession. The basic structure they falsely thought they had imposed everywhere did more or less materialize and work in the SE

Re: Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

#117
This Kind of War (reading list Marine Corps commandant 2026 Vietnam War) suggests the answer is that the US fought crusades through WW2. Then they got Korea; not absolute war, not a crusade. And the US had no reference frame for that. Who is winning and why and why are Americans dying for this?

Re: Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

#118
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but Maduro is not. His former right hand is in charge and Rubio is controlling her. It was not regime change, but an internal coup helped with foreign soldiers. New leader is equally oppressive, but this time guided by American admin.

It is not under US control though. The new president is simply playing each side

She knows fully well where she’ll end up if she doesn’t play ball and allow the US to do whatever they want. That’s not what I’d call being in control.

All that’s left is a varnish of legality.

Re: Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

#119
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would a future president ever be motivated to give power back to Congress I wonder? A coup by congress?

as the term rule of law suggest the legislative branch has the power to make the rules

I really hope that next time they do their job vetting nominations for the judicial branch.

Re: Why is it so hard for the U.S. to win wars?

#120
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A mobilisation such as what we saw in WWII is unthinkable because it'd crash markets. That's one reason.

The last time a mobilisation happened was the Vietnam War and it almost tore America apart. The Pentagon learned their lesson.

So, it will be quagmires from now on.
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